Locked-in syndrome
Brain-computer interface
Our research seeks to develop an efficient and effective brain-computer interface system that will serve as a communication access method for individuals with locked-in syndrome. We strive to improve the accuracy and speed of the technology, as well as user satisfaction, for a system that can be used for functional written and spoken expression.
For more information on locked-in syndrome, please contact Betts Peters, Ph.D., C.C.C.-S.L.P. .
Betts Peters, Ph.D., CCC-SLP discusses brain-computer interfaces
Visit our BCI Playlist on YouTube for more videos that explain how brain-computer interface technology can help people with locked-in syndrome and their families.
Our research on locked-in syndrome
Grant abstracts
Here you will find short descriptions of the three grants that we are currently working on in brain-computer interface.
Publications
Writing papers about our work is an important part of the research process. The papers you will find here have been included in conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals.
For additional publications, please visit CAMBI.tech
- Klee, D., Memmott, T., Smedemark-Margulies, N., Celik, B., Erdogmus, D., & Oken, B. S. (2022). Target-related alpha attenuation in a brain-computer interface rapid serial visual presentation calibration. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 882557.
- Memmott, T., Koçanaoğulları, A., Lawhead, M., Klee, D., Dudy, S., Fried-Oken, M., & Oken, B. (2021). BciPy: brain–computer interface software in python. Brain-Computer Interfaces, 8(4), 137-153.
- Peters, B., Eddy, B., Galvin-McLaughlin, D., Betz, G., Oken, B., & Fried-Oken, M. A systematic review of research on augmentative and alternative communication brain-computer interface systems for individuals with disabilities. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 500.
- Fried-Oken, M., Kinsella, M., Peters, B., Eddy, B., Wajokeowski, B. (2020). Human visual skills for brain-computer interface use: A tutorial. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 15:7, 799-809. DOI:10.1080/17483107.2020.1754929.
- Peters, B., Bedrick, S., Dudy, S., Higger, M., Kinsella, M., Mclaughlin, D., Erdogmus, D. & Fried-Oken, M.. (2020). SSVEP BCI and eye tracking use by individuals with late-stage ALS and visual impairments. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 457.
- Oken, B., Memmott, T., Eddy, B., Wiedrick, J., & Fried-Oken, M. (2019). Vigilance state fluctuations and performance using Brain-Computer Interface for communication. Brain-Computer Interfaces. 10.1080/2326263X.2019.1571356
- Peters, B., Higger, M., Quivira, F., Bedrick, S., Dudy, S., Eddy, B., ... & Erdogmus, D. (2018). Effects of simulated visual acuity and ocular motility impairments on SSVEP brain-computer interface performance: an experiment with Shuffle Speller. Brain-Computer Interfaces, 5(2-3), 58-72.
- Klein, E., Peters, B., & Higger, M. (2018). Ethical considerations in ending exploratory brain–computer interface research studies in locked-in syndrome. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 27(4), 660-674.
- Andresen, E.M., Fried-Oken, M., Peters, B., &Patrick, D.L. (2016). Initial constructs for patient-centered outcome measures to evaluate brain-computer interfaces. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 11:7, 548-557.
- Moghadamfalahi, M., Erdogmus, D., Akcakaya, M., Nezamfar, H., Orhan, U., &Fried-Oken, M. (2015). Language-model assisted brain computer interface for typing: a comparison of matrix and rapid serial visual presentation. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems &Rehabilitation Engineering, PP(99), 1.
- Peters, B., Bieker, G., Heckman, S., Huggins, J.E., Wolf, C., Zeitlin, D., &Fried-Oken, M. (2015). Brain-computer interface users speak up: the virtual users' forum at the 2013 international BCI meeting. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96(3): S33-S37.
- Peters, B., Mooney, A., Oken, B. &Fried-Oken, M. (2016). Soliciting BCI user experience feedback from people with severe speech and physical impairments. Brain-Computer Interfaces, 3(1), 47-58.
- Roark, B., Fried-Oken, M., &Gibbons, C. (2015) Huffman and linear scanning methods with statistical language models. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 31(1), 37-50.
- Fried-Oken, M., Mooney, A., Peters, B., &Oken, B. (2015) A clinical screening protocol for the RSVP Keyboard™brain computer interface. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 10(1), 11-18. NIHMSID # 521124.
- Fried-Oken, M., Mooney, A., &Peters, B. (2015). Supporting communication for patients with neurodegenerative disease. NeuroRehabilitation, 37(1), 69-87.
- Huggins, J.E., Guger, C., Allison, B., Anderson, C.W., Batista, A., Brouwer, A.M., Brunner, C., Chavarriaga, R., Fried-Oken, M., Gunduz, A., Gupta, D. Kubler, A., Leeb, R., Lotte, F., Miller, L.E., Muller-Putz, G., Rutkowski, T., Tangermann, M., &Thompson, D.E. (2014). "Workshops of the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting: Defining the Future," Brain-Computer Interface Journal, 1(1), 27-49.
- Oken, B., Orhan, U., Roark, B., Erdogmus, D., Fowler, A., Mooney, A., Peters, B., Miller, M., &Fried-Oken, M. (2014). Brain-computer interface with language model EEG fusion for locked-in syndrome. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 28(4), 387-394. PMC # 3989447.
- Akcakaya, M., Peters, B., Mooney, A., Orhan, U., Oken, B., Erdogmus, D., &Fried-Oken, M. (2014). Noninvasive brain computer interfaces for augmentative and alternative communication. Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 7, 31-49.
- Roark, B., Beckley, R., Gibbons, C., &Fried-Oken, M. (2013) Huffman scanning: Using language models with fixed-grid keyboard emulation. Computer Speech &Language, 27(6), 1212-1234. NIHMSID # 417417.
- Orhan, U., Akcakaya, M., Erdogmus, D., Fowler, A., Roark, B., Moghadamfalahi, M., Oken, B., &Fried-Oken, M. (2013). Offline analysis of context contribution to ERP-based typing BCI performance. Journal of Neural Engineering, 10, 1-14.
- Ball, L.J., Fager, S., &Fried-Oken, M. (2012). Augmentative and alternative communication for people with progressive neurological disease. Physical Medicine &Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, 23(3), 689-699. PMC #22938882.
- Fager, S., Beukelman, D., Fried-Oken, M., Jakobs, T., and Baker, J. (2012). Access Interface Strategies. Assistive Technology, 24, 25-33. PMC #3663592.
- Orhan, U., Erdogmus, D., Roark, B., Purwar, S., Hild, K.E., Oken, B., Nezamfar, H., &Fried-Oken, M. (2011) Fusion with language models improves spelling accuracy for ERP-based brain computer interface spellers. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Conference Proceedings. 5774-5777.
- Hild, K.E., Orhan, U., Erdogmus, D., Roark, B., Oken, B., Purwar, S., Nezamfar, H., &Fried-Oken, M. (2011) An ERP-based brain-computer interface for text entry using rapid serial visual presentation and language modeling. Proceedings of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics: Human Language Technologies: Systems Demonstrations. Association for Computational Linguistics pp. 38-43.
- Orhan, U., Hild, K.E., Erdogmus, D., Roark, B., Oken, B., &Fried-Oken, M. (2011) RSVP Keyboard: An EEG based typing interface. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, &Signal Processing (ICASSP).
- Fried-Oken, M., Howard, J., &Roach Stewart, S. (1991) Feedback on augmentative and alternative communication intervention from adults who are temporarily unable to speak. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 7(1), 43-50.
Presentations
Every year we give presentations about the work we are doing. We have a diverse team who present on different aspects of the study.
For additional presentations, please visit CAMBI.tech
- Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken, Ph.D., Director of OHSU Assistive Technology Program presented the Following to the Chicago Public Schools Assistive Technology Group in October of 2023.
- Fried-Oken, M., Kinsella, M., & Peters, B. (2023). Webinar presented to the United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
- Fried-Oken, M. (2022). Considering User-Centered Design in BCI Research and Development. Keynote presented at the BCI-CAN Symposium 2022: Youth-Centered Design. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Peters, B., Eddy, B., Kinsella, M., Klee, D., McLaughlin, D., Memmott, T., Oken, B., & Fried-Oken, M. (2021) Including participants with speech and physical impairments in BCI research: Challenges and lessons learned. 8th International BCI Meeting Abstract Book. Online.
- Memmott. T, Kocanaogullar. A, Klee.D, Demir. A, Erogmus. D, Oken. B (2021) Tripolar Scalp Electrodes Extract Gamma Activity to Maximize Performance in a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Spelling Paradigm. [Poster Session]. BCI Society virtual conference 2021.
- Oken, B.S., Klee, D., McLaughlin, D.E., Memmott, T., Wiedrick, J., Peters, B. & Fried-Oken, M. (2021, June 7-9). The effects of using BCI software with posterior alpha rhythm neurofeedback (NFB) on cognitive processes underlying reading in persons with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [Poster Session]. BCI Society virtual conference 2021.
- Peters, B. (2020) SSVEP BCI and eye tracking use by individuals with advanced ALS and visual impairments. Online presentation hosted by the National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies.
- Eddy, B., Peters, B., Spaulding, S., Memmott, T, Oken, B., & Fried-Oken, M. (2019). Performance across multiple calibrations using the brain-computer interface RSVP Keyboard™ in people with severe speech and physical impairments. Poster presented at Oregon Health & Science University Research Week 2019. Portland, OR.
- Peters, B., Kinsella, M., Eddy, B., Mooney, A., & Fried-Oken, M. (2018). A revised sensory/cognitive/communication screen for use with communication BCI study participants. 7th International BCI Meeting Abstract Book. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Eddy, B., Peters, B., Dudy, S., Memmott, T., Bedrick, S., & Fried-Oken, M. (2018). Icons are not equal: Considerations for use of icons in BCI systems. 7th International BCI Meeting Abstract Book. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Garrett, S., Eddy, B., Peters, B., Rajen, S., Huggins, J., & Fried-Oken, M. (2018). Trends in BCI meeting abstracts on research participant categories and descriptions between 1999 and 2013. 7th International BCI Meeting Abstract Book. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Memmott, T., Kocanaogullari, A., Erdogmus, D., Bedrick, S., Peters, B., Fried-Oken, M., & Oken, B. (2018). BciPy: A Python framework for brain-computer interface research. 7th International BCI Meeting Abstract Book. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Kocanaogullari, A., Gonzalez-Navarro, P., Memmott, T., Peters, B., Akcakaya, M., & Erdogmus, D. (2018). Query exploration for intended task state estimation with BCI. 7th International BCI Meeting Abstract Book. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Memmott, T., Eddy, B., Dabiri, S., Wiedrick, J., Peters, B., Erdogmus, D., Fried-Oken, M. & Oken, B. (2018). Automated and self-report measures of drowsiness over successive calibrations in a brain-computer interface for communication. Clinical Neurophysiology 129, e61-e62.
- Fried-Oken, M., Wojciechowski, B., Kinsella, M., Peters, B., Eddy, B., Erdogmus, D., Collins, L., & Mainsah, B. (2018). Eye tracking, vision, and BCI. Half-day workshop presented at the Seventh International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Peters, B., Eddy, B., McInturf, K., &Fried-Oken, M. (2016). Augmentative and alternative communication for adults with total locked-in syndrome. Presentation at the 2016 Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Toronto, Ontario.
- Peters, B., Bieker, G., Cach, M., Do, A., Fritz, A., Guger, C., Spataro, R., Vuckovic, A., &Fried-Oken, M. (2016) What does BCI stand for? The 2016 Virtual Forum of BCI Users. Presentation at the Sixth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Guger, C., Coyle, D., Mattia, D., De Lucia, M., Hochberg, L., Peters, B., Nam, C.S., Cruse, D., &Noirhomme, Q. (2016) BCIs for assessment of locked-in and DOC patients. Half-day workshop presented at the Sixth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Peters, B., Mooney, A., &Fried-Oken, M. (2016) Communication Strategies to Involve Potential Users in BCI Research. Proceedings of the Sixth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Memmott, T., Peters, B., Erdogmus, D., Fried-Oken, M., &Oken, B. (2016) Detecting Drowsiness in RSVP Keyboard™BCI Users with SSPI. Proceedings of the Sixth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Brain Computer Interface: A Primer for Clinicians, American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, Dallas, TX, October, 2015
- Peters, B., Brumberg, J., Mooney, A., Zeitlin, D., & Fried-Oken, M. (2015). State of the Science Update: Brain-Computer Interfaces for Augmentative &Alternative Communication. Presentation at the American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention. Denver, CO.
- McInturf, K., Peters, B., Mooney, A., &Fried-Oken, M. (2015). Locked-In: A carer's perspective on communication and BCI. Poster at the Oregon Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Conference. Portland, OR.
- Perspectives of Individuals with SSPI on Brain-Computer Interface and AAC, International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Lisbon, Portugal, 2014
- BCI within an AAC Framework, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, June 2014
- Fried-Oken, M, Mooney, A., &Peters, B. (2014). Learning to use a brain-computer interface: Attention training. Presentation at the Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Lisbon, Portugal.
- Peters, B. (2014). Brain-computer Interfaces for People with Severe Speech and Physical Impairments: Unlocking the Locked-in. Presented at Ignite Health 2.0. Portland, OR. Watch video
- The RSVP Keyboard™: A Brain-Computer Interface for Communication by People with Locked-In Syndrome, Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society Conference, Bellevue, WA, 2013
- Fried-Oken, M., Bieker, G., Blackstone, S., Huggins, J., Mooney, A., Oken, B., &Peters, B. (2013). Augmentative and alternative communication for BCI 101. Half-day workshop presented at the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Huggins, J., Bieker, G., Fried-Oken, M., Peters, B., Vaughan, T., &Wolf, C. (2013). Users' Virtual Forum: The final word. Presentation at the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Peters, B., Erdogmus, D., Fowler, A., Mooney, A., Oken, B., Orhan, U., Roark, B., &Fried-Oken, M. (2013). Effects of varying presentation rate and sequence length on user performance with the RSVP Keyboard BCI. Proceedings of the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Peters, B., Bieker, G., Mooney, A., Oken, B., &Fried-Oken, M. (2013). Selection strategies for the RSVP Keyboard: Different strokes for different folks. Proceedings of the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Fried-Oken, M., Mooney, A., Oken, B., & Peters, B. (2013). Clinical screening protocol for RSVP Keyboard BCI Use. Proceedings of the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA.
- Oken, B.S., Orhan, U., Roark, B., Erdogmus, D., Fowler, A., Peters, B., Miller, M.,&Fried-Oken, M. (2013). EEG-based typing interface with language model for individuals who are functionally locked-in. Neurology. 80:S14.004.
- Fried-Oken, M., Erdogmus, D., Mooney, A., Peters, B., Orhan, U., Oken, B., &Roark, B. (2012). A brain computer interface using the RSVP Keyboard™for users who are locked-in. Seminar presented at the Biennial conference of the International Society on Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Pittsburgh, PA.
- Fowler, A., Roark, B., Orhan, U., Erdogmus, D., & Fried-Oken, M. (2013). Improved inference and autotyping in EEG-based BCI typing systems. ASSETS Conference for the Association of Computing Machinery. 978-1-4503-2405-/2/13/10.
Community input
Here you will find articles and other writings from community members with locked-in syndrome who are participating in our research. You will also find newsletters featuring our research.
Resources for families
Podcasts
Brain computer interfaces with Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken. Listen to the podcast
Brain-computer interfaces for people with ALS. Listen to the podcast
Communication supports
We hope you will find these handouts helpful for those with locked-in syndrome:
Useful websites
Below, you will find links to online resources that we find useful. We encourage research participants and their families to take a look:
- What is a Brain-Computer Interface? Fundamental Questions Answered by Betts Peters and Melanie Fried-Oken
- National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies
- AAC-RERC, Supporting Communication of Individuals with Minimal Movement webcast
- Cognitive Systems Laboratory (CSL) at Northeastern University
- BCI Society